Single Video Chat
by livelaughluvmusic
Summary: There are secret boxes, memories, and admitions, in the Shepard-Alenko house. Because Shepard and Kaidan deserve better than canon.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hehe, fun with italics :D. Maybe over did it, maybe didn't..._

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><p>The attic was dusty and making it much too hard to breath on the two teenagers' lungs. Benjamin drifted forward, eager to discover some mystery as it was his idea to search the annex, and had recruited his sister's sharp sight to help. Terra had obeyed her older brother's begging and even though she wasn't going to admit it anytime soon, she too was curious as to what hid inside the untouched portion of the house.<p>

Cobwebs seemed to find a comforting home in the upper level of _her_ home, spinning their silk freely as if they had bought and payed for it. She was glaring at a messy web she could identify to a black widow and it suddenly popped into view. The arachnid's beady orbs of kohl dared the teen to step any closer, her legs propped for an attack. Terra shook her head at the personification her mind had created for the deadly thing and strode up ahead, murmuring the humiliation of loosing a stare-off to a less intelligent animal.

"Over here," Benjamins voice carried over, "Check it out. Old disks! These must be Mom and Dad's!" The older sibling's attitude turned one of a toddler as he laughed triumphantly, pointing a finger at his sister. "I _told_ you we would find _something_." Benjamin was very proud at the moment. Though he mostly likely failed to notice that his sister's shut mouth was not out of failure but of the fact that her brother had just posed in a heroic stance, with his fist bent to touch his sides and his knee bent to rest on an invisible object. _Like the guy on the beer boxes._

_Oh, God, Ben._

Benjamin continued talking. "Here," He shoved a box towards her, labeled with her mother's name, "You can search through these. Make sure to tell me if you find anything good. I'm still fairly certain Mom hates Aunt Elisa, but only this will tell." Ben lifted a box for himself, the name of their father's name plastered on the side. Terra looked at the box in her hands and thought back to the arachnid she had just visited in the corner. She released.

"What are you doing?" Her brother's whisper-yell was shocked as Terra dropped the box onto the freezing floor. Dust whipped around from under the container, climbing the sides. They both coughed as the dust bowl subsided. When Ben looked back to his sister she was rubbing her hand on her pants vigorously, as if they carried illness. Her voice sounded very much like that of a young girl seeing a scary costume on Halloween, "Check it for spiders first."

_Girls are such wimps. _Benjamin exhaled slowly and lifted the box to check after setting his own down. He pointed to all the corners in a silent '_nothings there_'. "Now, come on, we have to check these out before they come home." Terra's mouth formed to shout her protests but her brother continued. "Don't be such a girl scout. It's better for us to find them than some strangers millions of years from now, right?" _These could be relics in the future. What rights do stranger have to look at our parents' belongings but not us? _The box was tossed into her hands.

Terra took a breath and nodded her head at her brother's words. These files were just stored in cyberspace, just waiting to be explored. And they where the only ones with a slight reasoning to look at them. They walked down the stair; Ben pulled the door shut behind him with a dull thud.

She broke off from her brother, each going into their separate rooms on opposite sides of the spacious hallway. The door shut behind her, and she sat so that her knees bent before her and her ankles crossed each other, the mattress of foam forming to her comfort. The box tore open with a dull _shink_ as the tape split. Terra brought her arm up, the orange omni-tool glowing around her forearm as she adjusted the settings to fit those of the old data she held in her hand. A video started to play and everything but the omni-tool faded in her mind. A woman came into view, her mother. _Mom..._

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The table shook slightly as she fell into her chair. She wiped her hands in her hair as if she could not believe what she was about to do. The breath she exhaled only emphasized the woman's frustration.

Her arm went out of the screen for a second, not realizing it was already recording. The mumbled push of the button could be heard and the woman steeled her nerves as she rung her hands.

"Damn it" She mumbled. It was followed by a rough exhale. Her eyes focused slightly towards the side. _Probably looking towards the mirror. Close to the lens but not quite looking at the camera._

"My name is Tzorah Shepard. I am part of the Alliance Military and, recently, the first human Spectre. I am twenty-nine years old, and command, and serve, on the SSV-Normandy." The woman was, indeed, her mother. Red hair, blue eyes, dark freckles that didn't bring attention... Scar cutting across from her eyebrow to her check on the opposite side of her face. That certainly wasn't there now. Maybe it was the quality of the recording, but Terra could swear that her mother's eyes were a shade lighter.

"I've been a girl-scout my whole life! I never broke the rules! This-This is ridiculously wrong!" The red- haired Shepard mumbled to herself. Her hands were rapped in her hair, pulling at her mind for an answer. Tzorah's face slowly looked upwards again. "I am what humanity _thinks _is the _best _and I can't even keep the first rule in the whole damn Alliance!" She shook her head again, "I could die tomorrow and I should be feeling scared, or horrified, or disgusted with myself. And all I can do is fret around like a little child. I _blushed _today! The commander of an advanced warship and I _blushed_!

"Mom, I'm going to do what you always ordered me to do. Talk through it." Tzorah sighed again and her anger with whatever she was referring to was turning into an upset child. She was never good at talking. Her frustration could be sung through the bullets she fired and sadness through gun-salutes and folding flags. She could _share_ emotions with the people around her.

When she was on ships with her parents, and someone would pass away, everyone else would know them and mourn with her and her family.

But now there weren't enough bullets to deal with the emotional singularity she was feeling. She was sick of sharing emotions, and as much as her conscious would not admit it, she enjoyed being the only one to feel this. Even with the self-agonizing tries of 'This isn't right, snap out of it.' This was her being _not_ being selfless. She would _not_ _share_ _this with anyone._ She wasn't even sure if she was going to tell **him**.

Tzorah's voice was cracked when she next spoke, and neither of them knew if the fear was what caused it the tremor, or the feeling of the hammer at Tzorah's chest,

"I am in love with my lieutenant."

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><p><em>I was thinking of making this multi-chapter but I'll let you decide. <strong>If<strong> I did multi-chapter then I **might **include Benjamin's watching of Kaidan and his video. I also might have them wondering if their parent is talking about their spouse (So like Terra wondering if Tzorah was talking about her dad or another man and Ben wondering if Kaidan is talking about another woman. Not sure if their parents were in love with other people...)..._

_But you guys decide if they are confused about the people their parents are mentioning. And you also decide if this is a one-shot or multi-chapter. :D_

_**Thank you for reading **and drop a review if you can._

_**Thank you!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Her mother's words remind Terra of her mother's explanation of falling in love with her husband.

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The cold air is normal for Canada and the snow outside is like a third parent to the young girl sitting inside the cookie-smelling kitchen of her home. Her mother, Tzorah, is making her sweets again, because she just can't ignore that pleading face of her daughter._ She got that look from her father_.

Fingertips dance on the counter top as Terra swings her legs and hums, waiting for her mother to place the dough inside the oven. Her eyes dart to the clock and she wonders how long the two men of the house can take getting simple groceries. Her dad is the punctual one, Mom tells people that times isn't important, but the fact she's there is. "Momma, do love me more than Ben?" She is curious, and they both know the question is not one to be taken to heart. Many questions of children is not out of curiosity but out of boredom.

Tzorah smiles from her place in the room, "Of course! Who likes sweaty old guys anyway? All they do is eat and get mud all over our dresses!" She has her pouty face on, she's playing again because she is a mouse and her cat son and husband are away and cannot object her teasing comments.

Terra gasp as her mother's tickling fingers are at her sides, robbing her of breath as she giggles on whatever her lungs can provide.

It's moments like this Shepard thought she would never have. Having an actually home on the actual birthplace of humanity. Or having children or a husband. Getting married to a soldier who once served under her. One case she was okay with losing, because it led her to a giggling bliss with a family and homestead.

The clock ticks the instant the front door opens to reveal Kaidan holding boxes, stuffing them under his chin as he kicks the door closed and ask for Ben to lock it. His son does as he ask, momentarily ceasing the war he has with his scarf, because the itching is so damn annoying. It reminds Terra of a sheep, and she instantly giggles at the thought.

It barely been a minute since he entered, and Shepard is already pulling Ben's fingers away from the cooking treats, _because all we need is another trip to the emergency room. With Chakwas giving me the evil eye for not watching my children._ Sometimes Karin really reminds Tzorah of her mother. The last trip to the doctor really hadn't been her fault. It was Kaidan's. If he hadn't brought of the issue of dead fish, Ben wouldn't have stolen one in the middle of the night and burn himself cooking it. While also drenching the house with fire alarms and ceiling sprinklers.

Kaidan playful throws Benjamin over his shoulder, making sure he prepares for dinner (he liked to lie about simple things. Like, you know, washing his hands after digging in the dirt, or _No, Mom I swear I didn't put gum in Terra's hair) _Kaidan likes to blame the habit on his wife, because she wasn't the neatest person her knew. But she was the one he loved the most.

Terra's swinging in her chair, spinning, when she giggles, getting a gleam in her eyes that reminds Tzorah of the shading of an anime character's eye. "When did you know when you loved Daddy?"

In all truth, Shepard had been waiting for this question to pop up again since Ben had asked her when he was Terra's again. Her mouth in running as her mind is heaving to slow down, because _good God_ people need oxygen to continue living and Shepard just uses that as another way to explain how Kaidan made her feel: like she could drown into him, above water with air all around her, but it wouldn't _matter_ because her world would just be a jumble of Kaidan and all his habits and smiles and laughs and nothing felt better than to ignore all those scientific necessities to life because when you loved someone they were you necessity. Your oxygen, your home, your water. And Tzorah is struggling to remember the moments that lead to the major discovery of the beautifully, terrifying moment of _Dear Lord, I am in love with Kaidan Alenko_.

Tzorah doesn't realize it at first but she's practically retelling all her famous journeys while trying to answer her daughter's question. So she stops and smiles, telling Terra that the journey means figuring out your emotions and how you want to deal with them. Saying how through everything, saving the world, dealing with political shit-storms (censored to her daughter, of course), and the scattered moments in between, she feel in love with her husband.

Shepard is out of breath when she finishes, taking a moment to catch it and sending a sage's word of advise to her daughter.

"Save your heart for someone who leaves you breathless, no matter how scared it may make you feel"

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><p><em>AN: Hey, guys! I know my best works haven't been posted recently but I'm just posting the random things I write at random spots in the day. Thanks to those who have reviewed, favorited, or marked this story for updates (If you did all three I'd cry will joy haha) If you guys have any tips for me please share if you could. I'm really trying to improve my writing style and I'm looking to you guys for help. I don't have children so I apologize if I write the interactions wrong. I still believe my dialogue could use improvement so tips are welcome, as always. (I like asking you guys stuff, but would you like me to post about my Garrus-lovin' Shepard as well?)_

_Oh, and for the ending of Mass Effect 3..._

_... Lets just say canon will not be followed (unless a magical fairy fixes the ending with a DLC)_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Ben loved his bed. It was soft and squishy and- right, Dad's files.

He dug into the box, fingering his way to the very body, passing years of files and photos. He grabbed the omni-tool from the top, gripped a file from the very bottom, and popped it in. Mechanics moved beside him.

"Creator Benjamin, would you like for your lights to be dimmed?" The small, geth model on his desk seemed to blink as he asked. The red reading light unwound its self, standing on two feet and and faced its back of tubes and switches to the white baby-geth. A gift from Auntie Tali and Uncle Kal. Ben nods from across the room, and the white geth clicks of a button of the red transforming light, dimming the room like a movie theatre. Ben motions for the AI to come over to him and watches and it climbs a mountain of sheets to reach him, then the slope of his arm, coming to rest on his shoulder like a pirate's loyal parrot. Tech really is a boys' best friend.

The play button on his 'tool has been blinking as if it knows the information its holding is important, and flashes an order for Ben to play it. He does, pressing a ring finger to it, and sees his father come onto the screen.

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His hair is like ink, think and smooth, and his fingers are like quills, scraping the surface and digging into the tight locks. His eyes are forced onto the screen, focused on something most defiantly not in the room, and Ben's pretty sure his father doesn't know it, but Kaidan has a stupid, boyish grin on his face.

Kaidan's mumbling something that the camera's not picking up, but his voice is getting stronger. And with a breathy quality, and the force of unknown feelings in his chest, Kaidan finally says, "I almost kissed her." He probably shouldn't be as excited as he was, because a kiss shouldn't be a big deal but it was. Everything just seemed so special around her. The motion of her sliding lips was more beautiful than anything Picasso could had even dreamed of painting, or Galileo wished was in the vacuum of space. The commander was a brilliant star, better than the imagination.

And his son did not see the memory, and the effect did not travel across an omni-tool. You really just had to see _her_ to believe in what Kaidan saw. Even Ben has had his first kiss and he knew he liked it but he hadn't been so shell-shocked afterward, maybe it was a matter of maturity, but it wasn't a matter so important the authorities needed to be notified. His father on other hand...

Kaidan was looking as if he had seen heaven. The light in his eyes was too bright to come from the blue light in the corner of the room, and Ben was almost positive it was illegal to show that much teeth on an Alliance Vessel, but Kaidan just could not _stop_ smiling. But _that_ was contagious even threw the vid.

Ben's face grew back into a line of concentration when his father started to talk again.

"We were _so close_, and then Joker interups us! Damn bastard, I know he was looking." Kaidan groaned, "I'm never going to hear the end of that one" The grin on his face said that Alenko clearly wasn't sorry for the action he almost committed.

"But... God, now I'm never going to be able to just plain forget about it, either! I was so careful to not cut corners and come close to breaking regs... but I can't even think of the possibility of ignoring her. Especially now." There was a hint of a snort "I don't think _anyone_ _could_ ignore her. She's amazing. I didn't think regulation toothpaste could smell so good. And I've never even liked the smell of sunflowers but it was just so fitting of her. She fights so hard and gets even more pissed when a geth sets a foot on grass. Must come from never seeing Earth.

"I'm gonna take her sometime. Yeah... Just her and me, sitting on the beach, overlooking English Bay. I could rent the house from my parents for the weekend, and set up the heater at night so we could fall asleep in the living room, playing cards. Even if she always beats me. And I could throw a sheet around her and rub her to show the static that would run across it. She's always liked electricity.

"Joker'd make fun of me for being a dreamer" If possible the look in is eyes got a little farther, and his smile got a little bigger, "But I wouldn't give a damn"

Kaidan moves to stand. The camera clicks off, and the video feed ends.

Maybe it was just Ben, but it looked like his father had just made a decision.

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><p><em>AN: Hi, guys! I just couldn't resist some new tech in Ben's room. I may not seem like much, but I have made ten reviews on one story! It means a lot to me and I really want to hug you guys for it so consider this your cyber-hug-thing :). If you want, I might make a chapter about the origin of Terra's name. Just inform me of request and I'll try to do some. I have an idea for a shenko story that takes place in mass effect one (the beginning of this amazing series), but I'm a little worried that it might be a little late for me to post a story that will take a while to finish, since the series is over (at least in Shepard's story) except for the DLC we're waiting for._

_*And if you don't get the end, Kaidan's decision was to visit Shepard's cabin and bunk with her. ;)_

_Crap... Long author's note.._

_**Thank you for reading!**_


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